Now spreading health from three locations, the staff members at Baums Natural Foods believe that individuals have a say in their longevity, energy levels, and overall wellbeing. To that end, they stock an abundance of natural vitamins and supplements geared toward fostering strength, preventing ailments, and bringing dormant superpowers to the surface. Focusing on the Foundational Four supplements––multivitamins/mineral complexes, fish oil, probiotics, and enzymes––the team works with patrons to carve a path toward smooth and efficient bodily systems.
For an immediate booster, the Munster and St. John locations fill the refrigerators at their juice bars with kale, ginger, lemons, mangoes, beets, and garlic, prepped and ready to custom blend into healthy sips. All Baums Natural Foods locations also feature a wellness center where licensed aestheticians, acupuncturists, and other specialists promote holistic health with treatments such as ionic footbaths, body wraps, and reflexology.

Local delicatessens allow people to eat fresh cuts of meat without the need to hunt or to build a train and run over a herd of winged buffalo. Let someone else do the dirty work with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of beef, pork, chicken, and deli meats at Howard & Sons in Munster, IN.

Since starting his business in 1988, Dr. Dennis Gaeta has honed the vision of more than 18,000 active patients. He makes each pair of eyeglasses himself to ensure the accuracy of the prescription, which can be presented in digitally processed lenses, no-line bifocals, and Transitions lenses that adjust to the amount of light both outdoors and inside the car. These lenses get fitted into fashionable frames from brands such as Bellagio, Mandalay, and Modern Optics.

Wagstaff found the mayor at Eataly before the official opening.
Mayor Emanuel just bought tonight's dinner at #eatalychicago pescheria! @ Eataly http://t.co/qLk5vrQDQs
— Wagstaff Chicago (@wagstaffchicago) December 2, 2013
And Michael Nagrant keenly noted that Emanuel might be there to purchase one of his trademark menacing dead fishes.
@wagstaffchicago Tonight's dinner or a message to a detractor? — Michael Nagrant (@MichaelNagrant) December 2, 2013
And nobody should get between Grid and Nutella.
Current office debate over when to line up for @Eataly's Nutella bar. These pictures suggest now: http://t.co/aemVNki3gM — Grid Chicago (@Grid_Chicago) December 2, 2013
Or Time Out Chicago. Just don’t stand near the Nutella counter, basically.
Dear @Eataly, You had us at Nutella counter: http://t.co/aLR2JcWUxe Sincerely, The people of Chicago — Time Out Chicago (@TimeOutChicago) November 27, 2013
Ever-logical Crain’s thinks about the big picture. Also the Nutella counter.
Chicago's @Eataly will be roughly the size of 5 Trader Joe's — including 8 restaurants, a brewery and Nutella station http://t.co/lQTTXnbbRT — Crain's Chicago (@CrainsChicago) October 15, 2013
John N. is willing to play devil’s advocate on this whole “Eataly” thing.
John N.'s Review of Eataly Chicago - Chicago (2/5) on Yelp - http://t.co/gQUh6hRYmv — Chicago Yelp Reviews (@yelp_chicago) December 2, 2013
But most people are expecting the best.
Ima punch somebody's throat if Eataly isn't up to all the hype. — Harriet Thugman (@ChellzIsWinning) December 2, 2013
And they don’t seem too disappointed.
I can drink wine while I shop. I can drink wine while I shop. I can drink wine while I shop. I can drink wine while I shop. #eataly #heaven — Erica Lockerbie (@eLockerbie) December 2, 2013
Even Brian Boitano congratulated Eataly.
Congrats @Eataly, on your Grand Opening today! #eatalychicago http://t.co/taZLvubdvu
— Brian Boitano (@BrianBoitano) December 2, 2013
Photo credit: Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, Groupon | Explore more Chicago Italian restaurants